The Smackdown vs. Raw series has been around for more than a few years now, and like a time-worn WWE superstar, it is starting to get creaky in its old age. The core mechanics that fuel the entertaining action still set the stage for some great fights, but the perennially problematic [...]
In Shaun White Skateboarding, you restore joy and freethinking to an oppressed and conformist world. One of the game’s great ironies is that you do so by uncovering Stride Gum billboards in a city abounding with Wendy’s fast-food restaurants. Blatant product placement is nothing new in skating games, but it sure [...]
Three years after Rock Band blazed a new trail in the rhythm game genre, Rock Band 3 takes the art of living-room rock to new heights. A new keyboard peripheral joins guitars, drums, and microphones, providing a great new way to play along. And if you want to take your musical skills beyond the fake [...]
It’s a sad fact that among the constant flood of games based on popular anime series, many succeed at delivering lots of characters, music, and other content that appeal to devoted fans, but can’t manage to support all these goodies with a compelling gameplay experience. It’s refreshing, then, that the Ultimate [...]
The world of Albion is brimming with a vibrant personality that few imaginary worlds are able to match. While strolling down cheery forest lanes with a soothing melody permeating the air, it’s easy to lose yourself in the fantastical atmosphere that encompasses this adventure. The quirky citizens you meet along the way are all too [...]
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed had its share of flaws, but it still provided a healthy dose of saber-slicing, Force-flinging action that made it fun to destroy the Wookiees, Jawas, and stormtroopers that got in your way. The Force Unleashed II provides similar delights on occasion, but overall, this sequel is less enjoyable, less varied, [...]
The Sims 3 doesn’t mark the first time the PC-centric life simulation series has come to consoles, but it’s the first time that the basic gameplay has remained relatively intact. In the console versions of The Sims and The Sims 2, the sandbox gameplay that made the PC games so successful [...]
Last year, DJ Hero charted a new course in the rhythm genre by letting you tap, scratch, and crossfade along with uniquely energetic songs, creating what proved to be a very entertaining experience. DJ Hero 2 improves on its predecessor across the board, offering an even better collection of songs, creative new gameplay mechanics, a [...]
Stepping into the mixed martial arts arena for the first time must be a daunting prospect for any newcomer, but you wouldn’t know it looking at EA Sports MMA. A contender for the UFC Undisputed series’ previously uncontested crown, EA Sports MMA steps into the ring with a swagger that belies [...]
Fallout: New Vegas is all about more. There’s more to do in New Vegas than in Fallout 3, its superb predecessor; there’s more complexity to its gameplay mechanics; and sadly, there are far more bugs than you should expect from a modern role-playing game. Fallout: New Vegas’ familiar rhythm will delight [...]
